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What Is a Flush Door?

What Is a Flush Door?

2018-02-24

Flush doors are simple exterior and interior double doors that feature plain facings on both sides of the construction. While the flush door is more closely associated with function rather than style, this plain sort of door lends itself well to a number of room designs where the desire is to highlight other elements in the space. Doors of this type may have a solid or hollow core.

The typical flush door is manufactured by using two sections of plywood that are attached to each side of a frame. While the interior of the door is hollow, it is not unusual for some sort of support to be built into the frame, such as a honeycomb support system. The plywood can be finished to accentuate the wood grain or covered with paint. Once the door construction is completed, the finish is treated with a sealant to protect the color or the stain from any type of damage.

It is also possible to construct a flush door using a solid core piece that is augmented with some type of laminate or plywood on each side. As with the hollow door design, the solid model is then painted or stained, then treated to a sealant. While heavier than the hollow versions, the solid flush door is often a better option when installing a flush sliding door at a passage between two rooms.

Flush door hardware is usually kept very simple. If the doors are intended for mounting on tracks, then the hardware will be recessed, making it possible for the doors to pass over one another. This design is common when the doors are used for accessing a closet. Flush door handles may be used when the door is mounted in a position to swing back and forth, rather than glide along on tracks.

While the flush door is usually considered to be more utilitarian than other types of doors, that does not mean the door cannot be an attractive element in the room design. Flush doors can be painted with interesting patterns to appear to be wall art when closed. A door of this type can also be a means of picking up a secondary color in the fabrics used in the space, helping to draw that color out into the general look of the room.

Along with the traditional flush wood door, it is also possible to purchase a flush wood door that is constructed with metal. This type of flush interior door is often used in higher security settings. An exterior version of the metal door is often used in motel construction where each of the guestrooms are accessed from an open-air catwalk.